Moments in the Aftermath
by EmeraldsAndDaggers
Summary: Series of one-shots. What happens after the big battles end and Beast Boy and Raven finally get together? These scenes are just quick moments in their lives. Can be read as a semi-sequel to Titans Together (some references made), but can also be read on its own. Rating: T (Subject to change at any moment with the addition of new scenes). BBxRae.
1. Kids

**DISCLAIMER: I'm only doing this once, so please pay attention.**

**I DO NOT OWN BEAST BOY, RAVEN, ANY OF THE OTHER TITANS, JUMP CITY OR ANYTHING ELSE WORTH ACTUAL MONEY. THEY ALL BELONG TO DC (AND THEIR RESPECTIVE CREATORS) AND I'M JUST BORROWING THEM FOR THE PURPOSES OF FUN AND ENTERTAINMENT. DO NOT SUE. I MEAN THEM NO HARM.**

_Hello. So, yeah, I'm back. I know, no epilogue to Titans Together yet (it's in progress, I promise), but hopefully this will help a bit._

_Due to a few reviews, I've realized that a lot of build-up is made to Beast Boy and Raven getting together, but after that it all gets rather vague..."they lived happily ever after" is just assumed. And while part of me is completely happy to leave it at that, the other part of me wants to keep going. So I shall._

_These chapters are going to be disconnected one-shots of their lives. I don't have many right now and I'm not putting them up in any kind of sequential order. Just as they come to me. I may give a short note of explanation or inspiration at the beginning or end of the scene, but that's about all you're going to get. _

_Request for you: I get writer's block something fierce, so I'll be happy to take requests/prompts/thoughts. You can throw me a prompt for a scene. Or a word. Or a song. Fan art. A Holiday. A vague, flimsy, image you had in a dream. Whatever. And I'll try to see what I come up with. If I don't write your scene, it's not because I didn't want to, it's because I wasn't creative enough to think of a way to do it. Or it was way out of character for my versions of these two. So, Fanfictioners, give me your best shot. I may strike out, but I'll try my best._

_Thanks to my reviewers, who made me want to keep going in this fandom._

_3 EmeraldsandDaggers_

* * *

**Kids.**

"I wish you didn't have to go," Beast Boy said.

Raven looked up from her packing, pushing her hair out of her face. "I'll only be gone until Friday."

"That's three nights without you," he pointed out.

Raven smiled gently. "I know."

"First three nights we've spent apart since we got home."

"I know that, too."

"We won't even be able to talk. The stupid convent is in the middle of stupid Nowheresville and won't have reception. Three nights without talking to you."

Beast Boy sighed, looking up at the ceiling of their room, formerly Raven's room. It was still a little darker than his room had been, but they had made some compromises. There was a small t.v. in there now. His collection of movies and video games had their own shelves. His three comic book boxes were lined up neatly in the cabinet beneath the t.v. stand. It was theirs. And now she was leaving him alone.

He wasn't usually this clingy. There were days were they were busy and they didn't see much of each other. Days where all the villains decided to move as one and they were split up across the city. Days where she'd make trips to Steel City or he'd head out east and give the Titans there a hand. But the things he had started to rely on were his night with her. They'd go to bed together, every night without fail, even if it meant her teleporting to his side somewhere. He'd be able to go to sleep touching her, knowing that she was there, safe and healthy. And when she'd wake up, even though she got up before him most days, he always woke up enough to feel her brush a kiss across his mouth before she left their bed. He needed that security of their nights and mornings.

Still, he couldn't help but smile when Raven sat next to him on the bed, running her fingers up his arm. "Beast Boy," she said quietly, "You know I have to go."

"Why can't I go with you?" he asked, knowing the answer.

She knew that he knew as well, but humored him anyway. "With Cyborg in Steel City and me gone, you're needed here. And you know that I have to go because someone needs to assess if my kids are ready to join the Titans on the official roster."

He smiled at the 'my'. "I'm sure Melvin will be. Though I'm not sure about the other two."

"That's why I have to go."

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her down against him. She didn't resist, smiling as she curled into him. He repeated his earlier statement. "I still wish you didn't have to go."

"Three nights, Beast Boy," she whispered, pressing a kiss against his neck. "I'll be back Friday morning. I promise. It won't be that long.

Turns out three nights was very long. The first night he didn't even make the attempt to sleep. He sat on the floor, reading comics and watching television until the sun rose. Every time he thought about bed, he just got this hole in his chest that something was missing. The second night he at least sat on the bed, dozing through some awful horror movies. Raven would have loved to comment on the ridiculousness of them. Despite knowing she wouldn't be able to call, his communicator had been at his side the entire night. Just in case. Rob and Star knew not to comment and just gave him comforting smiles when they passed him. The third night she was gone, he made an honest attempt to sleep, only because he was utterly exhausted. He fell into their bed, stretching over all of it to try and fill up the void that he could still feel.

Beast Boy was sleeping on his side, dozing more than anything. Despite the yawns and the heaviness of his eyes, every time he'd be just about to nod off he'd scare himself awake. Right at the moment of sleep, he'd get this panicked thought that Raven should be there and she wasn't and something might have happened to her and he'd flinch, scaring himself into alertness. Then his exhausted brain would remember and he'd start to nod off again. He sighed, shifting a little.

An arm wrapped around his chest from behind, though he didn't jump or flinch. He must have smelled her, subconsciously knowing that it was her before his mind noticed. Either way, he knew she was home. He rolled onto his back, shifting so she was settled against his chest the way she should be. He looked her over; the bags beneath her eyes let him know just how she had managed to get here so early.

"Hi," she whispered. Despite the shadows under her eyes, they were still bright.

"What time is it?" he asked her, playing with her hair.

"Hmm, about two. Friday morning, just like I promised."

He smiled, "How're your kids?"

Raven shifted against him, putting her head down so he couldn't see her face. "Fine."

He knew that tone, without even needing to look into her head. "They're fine?"

"Mhmm."

Beast Boy sighed and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. "You may as well tell me now."

"…it should probably wait until morning," Raven told him.

Oh, like _that_ would work. "Rae."

"They're all ready to be on a team. They've been cooped up for too long and they're just going to get themselves into trouble," Raven said, her fingers roaming aimlessly over his chest. It was distracting, but not distracting enough.

"And…?"

"When I spoke to Robin, he pointed out that they may be ready to be moving up, but not to join the Titans. Not yet," she sounded calm, but he knew that there was something more she wasn't saying.

"Reasonable," Beast Boy answered.

"Mhmm. Robin said that they would benefit for some training for a year or two before joining an official team."

Oh, no.

"They do need training," she said.

Oh, crap.

"And you are one of the most accomplished Titans."

Shit.

"You've led teams and missions before. Very successfully."

Dammit.

"So I volunteered us to train them."

Beast Boy sighed. "Rae…this isn't a good idea."

She tilted her chin up to look him in the eye. He knew that determined look. It didn't bode well for him. "You're the bravest man I know. You know how to talk to people. You know how to teach them. You know how to keep Titans alive. Who better than you?"

"I've never taught anyone anything," he pointed out.

"You taught Starfire about Earth. You taught Robin not to be so uptight. Cyborg thought he was a monster until you showed him otherwise. They know their powers, Beast Boy. They don't know how to be a team."

He wouldn't be deterred by logic. "I can't teach them. I couldn't teach you anything and they'll be more like you than anyone else! You're the only adult they look up to!"

She smiled, "You taught me a whole bunch, Beast Boy. But yeah, they'll be a challenge."

Her grin was infectious and he couldn't help but smile back down at her. "You are gonna owe me so big, you don't even know."

Raven propped herself up on her elbows and hovered over him, her hair falling over her shoulder to brush his chest. "I'm sure I'll think of some way to repay you."

If he wasn't won over before, he sure as hell was now. He let his hands rest on her hips, half convinced to take her up on the offer now. But the shadows under her eyes reminded him that they had all the time in the world.

He eased her off of him, wrapping his arms around her as she settled into her usual position against him. She obliged, relaxing as easily as if she was made to fit him. They didn't speak and Beast Boy was almost completely asleep before he felt the hum of Raven's voice.

"Besides, I think you'll be great with my kids."

* * *

_I always thought Raven was great with those kids. I think it'd be kind of a huge step for her to share them with Beast Boy. It's like introducing your kids to a new boyfriend. You only do it when you're serious about the guy. And Beast Boy knows that. :)_

_I hope it's okay for the first one. Thought I'd start out with something light._

_Thanks for reading!_

_EaD_


	2. Fight

_And now for something completely different..._

* * *

**Fight.**

Their first fight was like a hit from the mafia. They all knew it was happening. They knew what was coming. But no one knew at exactly what moment or in what way things would suddenly go belly up. Starfire, Robin, and Cyborg walked on eggshells, following the two silent Titans that had been radiating wrath since before the car ride home.

"I can't fucking believe you!" Raven shouted suddenly, as they walked up the stairs to the main room. She had kept silent on the entire ride home, but the fury had finally bubbled over.

Starfire, Cyborg and Robin jumped, shifting uncomfortably as they filed into the room. They were uncharacteristically silent, not used to seeing the newest couple in the throes of an argument and not knowing how to act. Beast Boy's eyes glittered dangerously. He was just as angry with her as she was with him, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

He ignored her, heading towards the kitchen and getting a glass of water. Raven watched his back, seeing the burns that spread from his left shoulder to his right hip. He didn't pause when he reached up to grab a glass out of the cabinet, but she saw the play of muscles beneath the burns and knew it was causing him pain.

Robin and the others hesitated by the door, glancing from one Titan to the other. The only sound was the tap running as Beast Boy filled his glass and took a giant swig of it, still facing away from Raven.

She knew she shouldn't keep going, but couldn't stop her mouth. "You're an idiot."

_CRACK_.

Beast Boy slammed the glass down onto the counter, sending tiny spider webs of broken glass up the side of it. His shoulders got visibly tighter and he turned around slowly, staring at her.

"I'm exhausted," Cyborg said suddenly. "I'm gonna go to bed."

Robin and Starfire followed him out of the room without bothering to offer an explanation. They just wanted out.

With the other Titans out of the room, the tension became almost too much to handle. Neither Raven nor Beast Boy backed down, Raven glaring at him with the full force of her eyes, while Beast Boy watched her with his eyes half-lidded and calculating.

Raven refused to speak first this time and she waited, wanting him to offer an explanation for his actions.

It took moments, hours even. But eventually, Beast Boy spoke, his voice soft and measured. The voice he only used when he was especially pissed. "I stepped in the way. Just as I would have done for Star or Rob or Cyborg. Just like I've done for you before. And before, you've never gotten this angry. Before-"

"Before, you weren't taking stupid risks just because I'm your girlfriend," Raven snapped.

Beast Boy took a calm deep breath, but his fists clenched at his sides. He was obviously working hard to keep his temper. He walked around the counter so there was no longer a barrier between them. "It wasn't a stupid risk. Better that I take the damage instead of you. You can heal me, but I wouldn't be able to do that if you were hurt."

"You had an opportunity to take Overload down. Instead, you jumped in front of me," Raven argued, stalking a few steps nearer.

A muscle in beast Boy's jaw ticked as he watched her.

She couldn't explain why she was so angry. Why she was livid. Pissed.

And terrified.

The moment she had seen Overload aiming at her, she had thrown up a shield. And then Beast Boy had jumped in the way. His body went rigid as the electricity coursed through him. Burnt flesh brought up memories of an even worse burn and Raven had gone cold with fear when he hit the ground. She could barely breathe. Her heart hammered against her chest so hard it ached. All that she knew was that he was hurt and it was her fault. He couldn't do it again. He couldn't risk himself for her. She wasn't worth it.

She couldn't stop herself from ranting. She had to make him understand. He had to understand. "If you ever do something that stupid, that idiotic, ever again, I will never-"

"And I'll never let anything hurt you if I can stop it," Beast Boy interrupted, his voice louder but still calmer than hers.

"Dammit, Beast Boy you can't do that! I can take care of myself, I can take a hit and keep going."

"I know you can-"

She clenched her fists, "Is this some sexist thing? You think I'm not capable?"

"Of course not! Do you seriously think I'm that stupid after all these years? I just-"

"Then what is it? Why did you do it? Why did you-"

"Because I can't lose you again!" he shouted, making the room echo.

Raven froze, staring at him. She took a breath, "Beast Boy-"

"No," he cut her off. "My turn. You take stupid risks, too. Don't make me list out all of your idiotic moves when we were after Light. And yes, I chose to step between you than to go after Overload. I'd do it again. And again. And I'll never stop making that same exact choice every single day, because I will not see you in a hospital bed again."

Beast Boy stepped forward and grabbed her face between his hands. Raven couldn't help the thrill in her stomach when he touched her, when he looked at her with those eyes that burned.

"I won't lose you to some asshole who gets a lucky shot," he told her, quieter now, but no less intense.

"You can't-"

"I will. Always. Forever. And you can't stop me." The corner of his mouth quirked up.

She sighed, "Beast Boy…"

Beast Boy tensed, clearly ready for more arguing.

Raven's reached around him, pressing one hand to his burn and sending a cool draught of blue magic through it, letting him breathe easier. She leaned forward and Beast Boy let go of her face only to wrap his arms around her entirely.

"I want you to be careful," she whispered into his chest. "I'm a Titan, too. I can fight my own battles."

He breathed out slowly, "I know."

"I know you know. But you have to remember. I've been on this team just as long as you. We're equals, Beast Boy. I'm not some damsel that needs saving."

He squeezed her tighter, possessively. "I want to be able to save you."

"You do. Every day."

She leaned back, lifting up on her toes to press her mouth against his. He kissed her harder than usual, residual fear making its way through.

"Don't take risks that will leave me without you," she said quietly. "I love you."

He nodded, but she knew that he wasn't agreeing with her. They both knew that one day, some villain, some thug would be just a little bit faster. And they both knew that they would do anything to save each other, even at the expense of themselves.

Still, the only thing that was said was Beast Boy's "I love you, too."

* * *

_I know. I could have ended that happier. But it just wouldn't write itself happy. So we have this. _

_Plus side - angry Beast Boy...? I kind of love him._

_Thanks for reading. Seriously._

_EaD_


	3. Monster

_So, I'd built it all up, I was gonna write these awesome little vignettes for BB and Rae! ...and then I couldn't think of anything. At all. It was awful. And then I heard a song and immediately came up with a scene. :) No, this isn't a songfic. Just inspired a bit by a song. I'll tell you which one it is at the end._

_EmeraldsAndDaggers_

* * *

Something was wrong with him.

Raven had seen it for a few weeks now. He'd been moody, antisocial, losing his temper. He didn't do it very often with her, but she'd overheard a few conversations with Robin that had made her raise her brow.

Still, he seemed to have been getting better. He had worked with the boys like he did every day, while she had been working with Melvin. Though Timmy had thrown yet another tantrum, Beast Boy hadn't snapped at him at all. She thought everything was fine.

Then lunchtime came round. Beast Boy was fixing something up for all of them while Raven and Melvin continued working on solidifying new constructs. It had been raining for the past few days now, which meant the boys were cooped up inside. They were quickly becoming bored.

Timmy shoved his brother, knocking Teether into Beast Boy.

"Out of the kitchen, guys," Beast Boy warned. "And if I see you push him one more time, Tim…"

"You have to concentrate," Raven told the younger girl.

"I know," Melvin's eyes were clenched shut.

"Teether, put that down," Beast Boy ordered. Raven heard the clatter of metal and sighed.

Melvin had managed a shimmery thing in front of her.

"Good," Raven said. "Now solidify it."

Melvin clenched her jaw, the shimmer losing some of its shadowy edges and becoming defined. It almost looked like a bird.

"Good," Raven breathed.

Teether started crying and Raven heard Beast Boy mutter something impolite under his breath. "Tim, I warned you. Get over here."

"No."

"Yes. I told you not to and you did it anyway. Get over here."

"No!"

Raven stood up, hearing Timmy voice start to reach the dangerous pitch. Teether continued crying even louder. Without warning, Timmy finally screamed, breaking the dishes on the counter and making Melvin lose control. The shadow-bird launched out of its stasis and flew right at Timmy. Beast Boy reacted instantly and pushed the kid down, the bird glancing off his shoulder before dissipating.

When Beast Boy stood, he hauled Timmy up roughly, handling his own shoulder carefully.

Melvin's hands were over her mouth, "I'm so sorry, Beast Boy."

Raven immediately turned to her, "It's not your fault. It's fine. Right, Gar?" she asked him.

Beast Boy had started cleaning up the disaster that had been lunch, "Yeah. It's fine," he muttered. He dumped the dishes into the sink with a little more force than necessary.

"Timmy," Raven said quietly. "Go to your room."

"No."

"Timmy, right now," she faced him and said firmly.

"No!" Timmy shouted, drawing in another dangerous breath.

Raven bit her lip to keep from losing her temper and instead brought up a shield. Turns out, she didn't need one.

"Shut up and go to your room!" Beast Boy bellowed, his hands tight on either side of the sink.

Timmy deflated, staring with huge eyes at the man he had turned into his idol. Teether's eyes welled up and even Melvin looked nonplussed. Raven stared at him, unable to help being shocked. He never raised his voice like that to the kids, even when they sometimes deserved it. He usually went for the quiet, disappointed tone. In fact, it was usually her that lost her temper with them while Beast Boy could apparently never be bothered enough.

Beast Boy didn't look at any of them. His shoulders suddenly sagged and he pushed himself away from the counter.

Raven tried to stop him, "Gar, wait."

He didn't meet her eyes as he mumbled a quiet, "Sorry," but she saw the way his pupils had dilated and the aura of shame that dragged him down. He moved past her and out the doors.

Melvin spoke up first, "Raven, I'm so sorry."

"I didn't…does he hate me?" Timmy whispered.

"No," Raven said immediately. "No, of course he doesn't hate you."

"But-"

"He's just having a bad day," she cut off Melvin. "You know Beast Boy loves you three more than anything." Her mind whirled as she tried to figure out an explanation for the way he was acting. He'd rarely even raised his voice in years, not since…

The answer snapped into place, almost immediately followed by the solution. Raven quickly asked, "How would you like to go and stay with Cyborg and Bee tonight?"

Teether immediately brightened up and Timmy nodded. Melvin still looked worried, but Raven dispelled her fears quickly, "I'll pick you up tomorrow, I promise."

Melvin finally nodded. Raven smiled and took Timmy and Teether's hands, Melvin holding onto her brother still. With a whisper, Raven and the kids vanished from Titan's Tower.

He'd been quiet and oddly docile all evening, not even bothering to ask her why she had brought him to the national park. He just followed her on the trail, not even looking around at the forest. It was very beautiful in the dark. The fireflies were out and dancing between the trees and the moon was big enough to see by. Raven stepped off the path and led Beast Boy towards a clearing she had mapped out earlier in the day. When they reached the center of it, she stopped and turned to face him.

Beast Boy wouldn't even look at her. She could feel his anger and shame. The thing that really made her glad she had acted was the tiny undercurrent of fear that beneath both of those things. She broke the silence, "Gar-"

"I'm sorry," he immediately broke in. "I don't know what's been up with me lately and I never should at snapped at Tim, god he must hate me. I just…I just couldn't keep myself from yelling and I'm so sorry, Rae."

"I know."

He ran his fingers through his hair, still not looking at her, "I don't know what's going on. I'm so…"

"Angry?"

He sighed and looked at her, "Yeah."

"I thought so. How long has it been since you shifted?"

He shrugged, "Yesterday?"

"And since you let the Beast out?"

He blinked. "Not since the Brotherhood."

"That was three years ago." Raven made sure he was meeting her gaze when she said what she had to say next, "I think you need to let him out tonight."

"No," he snapped immediately, his eyes flashing. "He's a monster."

"He's not a monster. He's instinct, you told me yourself. You have him under control. And he's fighting at your leash. If you don't let him out, knowingly and in control, you're going to snap one day and we'll be unprepared. I'm here and I won't let anything happen."

"What if he hurts you?" Beast Boy asked.

"He won't."

"How do you know?"

"Because he's you," she told him firmly.

Beast Boy glanced out into the woods and she could almost see something beneath his skin shift restlessly.

"Nothing's going to happen, Gar. Go ahead."

He waited another moment before taking a breath. He rolled his shoulders and before Raven could blink, Beast Boy was gone and the Beast was loping off into the woods. She heard him howl, but it wasn't a hunting noise. It was just a sheer noise of joy. Satisfied, she settled herself on the grass, pulling out her book and book-light out of her backpack and began to read.

Raven closed her book and stretched. The sky was still dark, but she knew they were on the tail-end of the evening. The fireflies were gone and the owls had disappeared from the air. It was quiet, that moment when the night creatures had gone to sleep and the day creatures had yet to wake. Raven put her book and light away, pulling the backpack onto her shoulders as she stood. She eyed the woods around her, wondering which way Beast Boy had gone. A shadow lingered near the south end and she frowned, "Gar?"

She knew it was him, but he didn't answer. Instead, he walked backwards into the wood. She followed him without hesitation. She knew there was nothing to fear.

She walked a ways into the wood, looking for him. "Gar?" she called out again.

There was a quiet growl from up ahead and she paused, smiling. So that's how he wanted to play it? She kept going, listening carefully.

It was darker here than it had been in the clearing, but she didn't take out her light. She spent just as much time looking into the wood for Beast Boy as she did watching her feet. So engrossed in her task, she didn't realize the quiet sounds around her until she paused. And then the sound stopped. She raised her head up, looking around before starting forward again. The noise began once more. She stopped and the sound stopped.

Raven cast her head from one side to the other, realizing what was going on.

She was being hunted.

She didn't for a moment entertain the thought that he would actually hurt her. It was just a game. So she played along. She walked a little faster, hearing the whisper as he followed her. Sometimes it sounded like paws on the grass. Other times it was the hush of wings on the air. Still others she heard small fingers rasping against the bark of the trees around her. For a second, she could have sworn that she felt a hot breath against the back of her neck. When she spun around there was nothing there, but she heard him chuckle.

Raven took off running, ignoring the branches whipping at her skin. She heard him more clearly now chasing her on foot, wing, and claw. She hurtled through the forest and froze when she found herself in a tiny clearing. She spun around, not knowing where he was going to come out at her. She faced one way and heard a hiss form her left. When she followed that, there was a cat's growl from behind her. She whirled and felt the brush of fur on her palm. Spinning around, she froze when she found him standing mere inches from her.

He smiled as he looked at her - that slow, dangerous one that always made her heart race. Suddenly, this game wasn't about the chase anymore. He stared at her until she felt a blush rising on her face. Beast Boy started towards her, eyes dark. Without thinking about it, Raven matched him step for step backing away, until she bumped against a rough tree. Beast Boy didn't stop, putting his hands on either side of her head and boxing her in.

"Feeling better?" she asked him, choosing to ignore the way her voice shook. His eyes were almost black, but it definitely wasn't because of the Beast's sway on him.

"Mhmm," he hummed, pushing her hair away from her neck. He nuzzled against her skin, making her melt a little. His other hand had wandered down to her hip and pulled her a little closer. "What time do we have to pick up the kids?" he murmured, turning his mouth to her collarbone.

"Not until this afternoon," she whispered, her eyes fluttering shut.

He drew away from her and caught her gaze. "Good." He slammed his mouth down onto hers and Raven responded immediately, arms weaving around neck and pulling him nearer.

She felt his fingers against her skin and smiled. She had to admit, letting the Beast out wasn't just good for him.

* * *

_Driving home yesterday, I heard a song on the radio called 'Monster' by Skillet. And I was all, hey, sounds like something Beast Boy would think when he was having a bad day. Some of the lines are: "The secret side of me I never let you see / I keep it caged, but I can't control it / So stay away from me, the beast is ugly / I feel the rage and I just can't hold it / It's scratching on the walls, in the closet, in the halls / It comes awake, and I can't control it / Hiding under the bed, in my body, in my head / Why won't somebody come and save me from this, make it end? / I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin / I must confess that I feel like a monster / I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun / I must confess that I feel like a monster."_

_Again, I do not for a minute believe that he is. But I think, when he's having bad days like above, _he_ might think it._

_Also, a completely different song inspired the ending. For a while, I was just going to have BB walk out and be fine and they'd chat a little and _bam_, everything's good. And then I listened to Florence + the Machine's 'Howl'._

_Holy crap, guys. This song is like..._hot_. Seriously. Listen to it. ..."If you could only see the beast you've made of me / I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free / Screaming in the dark, I howl when we're apart / Drag my teeth across your chest to taste your beating heart / My fingers claw your skin, try to tear my way in / You are the moon that breaks the night for which I have to howl"_

_If I ever had to label a song as my 'let's get it on song', it'd probably be this one._

_Anyway, hope you like this. :)_

_Thanks for reading! EmeraldsAndDaggers._


	4. Impossible

_First I was like, naw, I'll wait a day or two before posting this._

_Obviously, I have no self control._

_EaD_

* * *

Impossible.

It wasn't a word Beast Boy had been faced with many times in his life, considering his line of work. In fact, the few times he had encountered it, he'd proven it wrong. Impossible he'd survive sakutia. Impossible to defeat Trigon. Impossible that he and Raven could be together.

But this one…this was an impossibility he hadn't seen coming.

"You're sure?" he asked.

Cyborg's voice was gentle. "I'm sorry."

His hand tightened around Raven's as she spoke up, "Is it me?" He didn't think she'd ever looked so pale before.

"No," Cyborg reassured her. Beast Boy's heart didn't have time to plummet into his stomach for guilt, as Cyborg continued talking. "It's neither one of you. Individually, you should be able to. But you just can't together."

"Why?" Raven whispered.

Beast Boy tuned out as Cyborg got technical. He only caught a few words. Incompatible. Something about the number of chromosomes being wrong. The painful truth kept his heart pounding in his ears. So many things had fought against them, that they really hadn't believed this would be one of them.

He and Raven could never have kids.

"There are other options," Cyborg said, drawing Beast Boy back into the conversation. "A sperm donor. Or an ovum from someone who might be better suited to carry the baby to term."

Beast Boy was already shaking his head. They might not have considered the hard reality, but they both knew that having some civilian carry a kid with one of their powers would just be too dangerous. For the baby, for the carrier. It wasn't going to happen.

"I'm really, really sorry," Cyborg said. The big guy looked so lost that Beast Boy felt it was his job to console him.

"It's okay. Thanks for telling us."

Raven shrugged, but it looked stiff. "We've been trying for almost a year. It's not a huge surprise." She stood up and Beast Boy stood with her. "Thanks anyway."

"Raven," Cyborg called out to her but she didn't turn back. He looked at the changling. "I'm so sorry. If there's anything I can do…"

"I know," Beast Boy said, staring after Raven. "Thanks, man." He hurried out after her and caught up to her at the elevator. "Rae."

"I don't want to talk about it," she said quietly. The doors dinged open and they slipped in together. Beast Boy took her face in his hands.

"It's me," he told her. "Rae, it's just me."

It broke his heart to see her eyes well up, even as she tried to deny it, "I'm fine." Always trying to be strong, his Raven.

Drawing her close, Beast Boy kissed the top of her head, wishing there was some way he could make this right. But he couldn't fix it. Not this.

They exited on the third floor – their floor. The Tower had been remodeled early six years ago as the couples had grown older. The first floor, the garage and laundry/storage had remained as they were. The second floor had three bedrooms, Melvin's, Timmy's and Teether's, and a living room area, with a staircase connecting it to the third. The third and fifth floors, Raven and Beast Boy's, and Robin and Star's had been remodeled extensively. Both of those floors now acted like apartments. Raven's and Beast Boy's apartment had living room, kitchen, two full size bathrooms and two bedrooms. Star's and Robin's was almost exactly the same. The fourth floor was still the medical bay and a one room style apartment for the few times Cyborg stayed over, and where they had just come from. The basement was still the gym and the top floor was still their main room, unchanged except for the removal of the kitchen and addition of new monitors. Cyborg's official apartment was over at Titan's East, but he and Bee usually spent at least one or two nights a week here.

Raven and Beast Boy loved their little home and had done a lot to make it theirs. Still, even entering the living room didn't make Raven relax like it usually did. She barely seemed to see it at all.

"I'm going to lie down," she said quietly.

He wanted to sit and talk, but he knew that it wouldn't make anything better. "Okay."

She started down the hall to their room and he couldn't help calling after her, "Rae, I love you."

"Love you, too," she said listlessly before shutting the door. Beast Boy sank onto the couch and put his head in his hands. He didn't know how to fix this. And this wasn't going to be something that they just got over. He and Raven could never have kids of their own. Ever. He stared at the wall for minutes, his mind turning over helplessly. He hated this. He hated not being able to do anything.

He stood up, never realizing that almost an hour had passed and walked down the hall to their room. He cracked the door open, seeing Raven curled up away from the door. She was sleeping, so he was quiet as he walked over towards her. Bending down by her head, he frowned at the tear tracts on her face. 'Course she wouldn't do it in front of him. He pulled the blanket up over her shoulders, brushing her hair off of her face before he rocked back on his heels. He glanced over at her nightstand and noticed one of the pictures there. Suddenly, he had a tiny, crazy thought. He hopped up and left the room silently, jabbing the button for the elevator and jumping on the second it opened up.

He was pounding on Robin's door within moments. Starfire answered and her cheerful grin told him that Cyborg hadn't breathed a word of their problem. He loved that half-robot just a little bit more at the same time as he dreaded having to talk about it.

"Hello, friend!" Starfire said.

"Hey, Star. Rob here?"

She nodded and glanced over her shoulder, "Dick? Beast Boy is here!"

Robin exited one of the rooms and smiled, "Hey, B. How's it going?"

"Not so great, actually." Beast Boy took in a breath and just let it out, "Cyborg just told me and Rae that we won't ever be able to have kids. Something about chromosomes."

Starfire's face fell, "Oh, Raven must be heartbroken."

Beast Boy nodded, his own chest still a little tight. Robin asked, "And how are you doing?"

Forcing a smile, he shrugged. "Dunno. Just got told that I'm too incompatible with the love of my life to have kids. I mean, we knew that it would be difficult, but...we never thought that it'd just be impossible. That we would never get the chance to even try."

"Beast Boy…" Starfire said quietly, her eyes welling up.

"That's not why I'm here, though. I need you to help me with something," Beast Boy said, addressing Robin.

Robin nodded, "Anything, you know that."

"Good, because I'm pretty sure it'll require some massive string pulling."

* * *

One week later, Beast Boy stared at the papers in his hands. "Really? Just a few signatures?"

Robin nodded and the official explained further, "Usually there's a bit more pomp and speech-making, but considering the unusual circumstances and glowing references, we just need you to sign."

The elevator door swished open and Raven walked into the common room, confusion clear on her face as she eyed the group of people there. "What's going on?"

Every time he'd seen her this week, Beast Boy felt his heart break a little bit more. She'd done her best, of course. Like always. Always plastering on a smile when he tried to make her laugh. But he saw right through it. Saw her shattering away, refusing to talk about it and refusing to admit it was hurting her. Even now, he saw Robin's eyes widen in concern. The normally pale empath was ashen and her eyes sunken in.

"Hey, Raven!" Timmy said, drawing her attention. Teether grinned and Melvin stood up.

"Come and sit down, Rae," Beast Boy told her. She hugged Melvin bemusedly as she took the empty chair at Beast Boy's side.

"What's going on? I thought you were with Jinx until next week," she asked the kids.

"We came home early," Melvin said, smiling.

Raven glanced at Robin, obviously confused, "What's going on?"

The Boy Wonder shook his head and looked at Beast Boy. He shoved the pile of papers at her, "So, you need to sign these."

"What are they?" She skimmed through a couple of them, the legal language even slowing her reading abilities down a little. Her brows drew together, "Gar, theses are papers for…"

"An adoption, yeah." He met her eyes when she looked up and amended, "Well, actually, three adoptions." He took her hand when she just stared at him. "They may not have our eyes or our skin, but these three have been ours in every way that matters except for one." He replaced his hand with a pen.

She looked at the kids, clearly shocked, "But we're already their…we're already your legal guardians. You don't need-"

"We do," Melvin interrupted. "To be honest, what we don't need are legal guardians."

"You'll be eighteen in another few years," Raven said, her voice quiet. "You'll be your own guardian."

Beast Boy was surprised at how Raven seemed to overlook the obvious, but he realized she was still completely thrown. Her hands were visibly shaking as she looked from one face to another.

"No," Melvin said, shaking her head and smiling, "I meant we don't want you to be only our guardians. We want you to be our parents. Legally."

Raven glanced at Beast Boy, "But..."

"But nothing," he told her. He ducked his head down to hers, making sure that only she could hear his words as the others looked away and granted them a moment of privacy. "That incompatibility stuff? It's crap. You and I are meant to be together, no matter what out genetics or our blood says. And these kids are ours. Always have been. Without the legalities, you've made one hell of a mom for them so far. This is our family, Rae."

He drew back and Timmy added in his piece, "Beast Boy talked to us about this, Raven. And we want you to be our mom. We want Beast Boy as our dad. We've always seen you that way."

Teether, who still rarely spoke at all, quietly and simply said the only thing that really mattered. "We love you."

Raven, whose eyes had been welling up, laughed wetly and covered her mouth. She quickly wiped away her tears and looked back at the papers. "So where do I sign?"

Beast Boy quickly pointed out the lines and then hastily added his own scrawl. It was then passed to the kids, who signed it one by one. Then they had to sign another form. Robin signed as a witness for all of it. Raven watched it all with a smile on her face, nearly glowing.

"All right," the official said, looking through the papers. "Adoptions, names, it's all here." He smiled and glanced at them, "You are legally a family."

Melvin was the first to move, nearly lunging across the table to hug Raven. Timmy and Teether piled on, burying the empath. Beast Boy somehow got dragged into the mix. Even though he knew about all this in advance, talked with the kids about how they felt about it, it still made his chest catch a little when Melvin kissed him on the cheek and said, "Hi, Dad."

"Hey, come on," Robin shouted over the chatter, "how about a picture?"

There was some scuffling about, but eventually they had managed to straighten out a little. Melvin, Timmy, and Teether wrapped their arms around Raven, with Beast Boy's arms around all of them and still managing to kiss his wife as the flash went off.

Robin handed the camera to them to look at and Beast Boy grinned, passing it around.

"There you go," Robin said, "The first official photo of the Logan family."

* * *

_I know, another story with the kids. But, this is also the first story that's glossing over some other major moments in their lives that I haven't addressed yet. The kids may or may not fade out for a bit now. To be honest, I hadn't expected to write them in so quickly, but they just hung around looking all innocent until I just had to. Hopefully this one is all right! I tried to balance the, "Oh, right in the feels!" with a bit of the "D'aww" without being too cheesy. How'd I do?_

_Thanks for reading (as always),_

_EmeraldsAndDaggers_


	5. Amazement

Hi. I'm back. Here's a scene! :)

Thanks for reading!

~EmeraldsAndDaggers

* * *

"I finished a book today," Starfire said.

"Oh yeah?" Robin handed her a plate and took a seat next to her on the couch. It was their routine to eat dinner away from the television or computers. Sometimes they had music playing in the background, but most time, their dinner was just a chance to relax and talk. "What was it?"

"The complete works of Mr. William Shakespeare."

Robin froze, a forkful of fish halfway to his mouth. "The whole thing?"

"Yes. I very much enjoyed it." She looked up at him, her eyes glowing, "Have you ever read it?"

"Umm. Parts of it. A long time ago."

"I found him very entertaining."

"You understood all of it?" Robin asked. He didn't mean to be condescending, but most kids nowadays had problems understanding Shakespeare. And Star was from another planet!

"Of course. Did you know he invented over 1,700 new words and phrases. We still use most of them today."

"Like what?"

"'Dead as a doornail'."

"Really?" he asked.

"Mhmm. And foul play."

He started tucking into his dinner again, happy to listen.

"And 'the beast with two backs'."

He choked, coughing and sending part of his dinner flying. He glared at his girlfriend, who didn't meet his eye and smiled that secret little smile of hers. The one that meant she knew _exactly_ what she was saying and was just doing it with an innocent look on her face to throw him off balance.

He coughed, standing up to get a glass of water. "You're too good at that. No one believes me when I say you know more than you let on," he said hoarsely.

Starfire just smirked at him over her shoulder. Robin shook his head with a smile and reached up to get a class out of the cabinet. As he did so, his communicator buzzed across the countertop. He glanced at it and frowned. "Beast Boy?"

"Rob," the changling's voice was hushed, which immediately put Robin on edge. "Rob, you need to get down to the courthouse. Right away. We need you. All of you."

That didn't sound good. "The kids?"

"…bring them, too."

Dammit. Beast Boy would never put the kids in danger if he could help it. Whatever was going on, it couldn't be good. "On our way. Hold on."

"Just hurry." Beast Boy's communicator switched off.

Starfire was already up and at the intercom for the Tower, telling everyone to meet them down in the garage.

The car was tense as they drove to the courthouse. It was after hours, which meant that civilian casualties would be minimal, if any. Robin glanced in the backseat, seeing Melvin, Teether, and Timmy looking but pale but resolute. They might be afraid, but they would fight tooth and nail for their foster family. Robin was counting on that. Cyborg kept asking questions Robin couldn't answer.

"How many?"

"I don't know."

"Who is it?"

"I don't know?"

"Are they okay?"

"I don't know, Cy," Robin bit out the words, one hand holding onto his communicator and the other latched onto Star's palm. It'd been a while since any villains had managed to get the Titans this riled up. They'd been too good of a unit. Too cohesive and intuitive. Too well tuned to each others' movements. He didn't like this feeling.

They pulled up to the back of the courthouse, not seeing any sign of danger. The back door was ajar, something which nearly never happened here. Preparing himself, Robin went in first, Starfire just behind him lighting the way. The kids were in the middle, tense and silent. Cyborg brought up the rear, keeping an eye on his surroundings and their backs.

It was muted in the courthouse. The hallways were dark and most of the offices locked, all the employees having gone home at five. There wasn't even a janitor. Robin stopped at a juncture and glanced at his communicator. Beast Boy and Raven's signals were coming from the south side of the building. Heading that way, Robin knew he was on the right track when he heard Raven's voice.

"Our friends will be here soon."

He sped up, feeling the tension rise from the group at his back. There was an office still lit at the end of the hallway. Now, he had to get in there, get Beast Boy and Raven out of whatever trouble they were in, apprehend the villain or villains that were responsible, and do it all without letting anyone hurt Starfire or the kids. Yeah.

Well, they didn't call him a superhero for nothing.

Robin glanced at Star, who nodded, her face set and her hands glowing. He slammed the door open, his hands going for his smoke bombs as Star aimed her bolts at –

- a Justice of the Peace.

"Oh, Beast Boy, you didn't," Raven said, glancing at the changling.

He was smirking, but when he glanced at the pale faces of the kids, he managed to look a little sheepish. "Sorry," he told his girlfriend.

Teether was already making for Raven, hugging her around the knees. She knelt down and hugged him. "Everything's fine," she consoled him, casting another quick glare at Beast Boy. "Beast Boy was just playing a joke."

Robin's jaw hurt from how hard he was clenching his jaw. He walked over to his friend, and quietly said. "You're going to pay for this."

Cyborg looked around the room. "So nothing's going on?"

"I wouldn't say nothing," Raven said, standing up.

Robin suddenly realized that she wasn't dressed in her uniform. She was wearing a blue sundress and her hair was pulled back. And Beast Boy – he was wearing jeans, but they were clean, and a button up shirt and open vest. He glanced between the two of them and at the Justice of the Peace, who had just started to regain some of the color back to her face.

"Oh," he managed to say.

Beast Boy grinned. "Yeah. I needed my best men here."

It all seemed to happen in a haze for Robin. He remembered standing there next to Beast Boy, who looked happier than he'd ever been before. He remembered feeling Cyborg elbow him with a grin as Raven said her vows. He saw Starfire wipe her eyes when Beast Boy said his.

"I, Raven Roth-"

"-Garfield Logan, take you, Raven, to be my lawful wedding wife-"

"-husband. To have and to hold no matter what form you're in, for better, for worse-"

"-for richer, for poorer, in health and sickness, which includes rare alien diseases, or supervillain created viruses, or when your emotions start to go wacky-"

"-in times of peace and times of conflict, with the latter being more likely, to love and cherish for all eternity-"

"-and another two weeks after that."

He saw Raven putting a thin silver band on Beast Boy's finger, and saw Beast Boy return the favor with another silver band, but one set with a small black diamond. Robin heard what the Justice of the Peace said after the two took each other's hands, but he doubted the changling or empath did.

"Honor each other with your love and friendship, and experience the joy of knowing that you two are now bound together, committed to one purpose, supporting and loving each other through light and darkness for the rest of your lives. By the authority vested in me by the laws of the state of-"

Beast Boy ignored everything else and kissed Raven, who didn't seem too opposed to the idea.

The Justice of the Peace shook her head with the faintest smile, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. Continue doing what you're already doing. For the rest of you, I'm pleased to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Garfield Logan."

Beast Boy and Raven were suddenly smiling and then Robin was signing things as a witness and there was a big mess of hugs and handshakes and the next thing he knew, he was being shuffled into a booth at a diner a few doors down.

"When did this happen?" he found himself asking them. He wasn't sure if he meant the marriage – _marriage!_ – or the engagement, or what. Starfire smiled at him from across the table, the kids having managed to wedge themselves in the middle.

Raven smiled, pushing back the locks of hair that had managed to fall free, the ring on her finger once again reminding Robin he wasn't dreaming. "Beast Boy proposed a month ago."

"A month," Robin repeated.

"You managed to keep it a secret for that long?" Cyborg asked the changling.

He shrugged, one arm around his wife – _wife!_ - "We weren't going to, at first. But then we saw how crazy Wally's wedding got, and Donna's was great, but neither one of us wanted that. You know we hate to stand on ceremony. So I mentioned just heading down to the courthouse one day, and we both just kind of jumped on that idea."

"And we didn't want dozens of people there," Raven added. "Just our family." She looked at Robin, "Are you angry with us?" she asked him quietly.

Robin sighed, granted a brief breath when the waitress came back with milkshakes for all of them. He looked at his friends, two of the most exasperating people he'd ever known in his life, with no rhyme or reason as to how they worked together, but they just did and he couldn't find it in him to be anything but thrilled.

"Congratulations," he said, lifting his milkshake, "to the newlyweds."

His family, friends, and teammates lifted their glasses and drank to the Logans.

* * *

Hope that was okay. There is an explanation for the diner, I just haven't written it yet. :)

Anyone count how many Shakespearean phrases I used? Gotta put that English MA to use.

I'm actually planning my wedding right now and I find that the desire to grab my fiancée and run into a courthouse grows stronger every day. I have superhero postcards for my Save the Dates, though…and I definitely want to use those…

Thanks for reading, guys. Seriously.

~EaD


	6. Moving

Short one tonight, but a reasonable break in posting times. :) Hope you like it.

Thanks so much for all the wedding congrats! It has not happened yet, I'm getting married in November and it will be THE nerdiest, most awesomest, pop-culture-referencingest wedding EVER.

Seriously. Proof?

-Boutonnieres made out of comics for my groom and groomsmen (comics that have been ripped or damaged and would have been thrown out, of course), and superhero cufflinks. My bridesmaids will be carrying books, not flowers.

-My bouquet made out of book pages and comics and the stem will be a Doctor Who sonic screwdriver (again, see above for condition of books and comics).

-I will be wearing Chucks. My groom and groomsmen will be wearing Chucks.

-All the tables will be named after our favorite movies/comics/books (i.e. Princess Bride, the Mummy, Serenity, and (_obviously_) Teen Titans).

-When we're announced as Mr. and Mrs., we will be walking into A) The Adam West Batman theme song or B) an acapella version of the Zelda theme, performed by I Fight Dragons

-Also, I'm in negotiations to see how much I have to pay my future brother-in-law (who'll be officiating our ceremony) to: 1) Say the speech from the Princess Bride wedding (…you know the one I mean – "Mawwidge…."), and 2) Wear the Impressive Clergyman outfit.

Those are the reasons I'm still planning this wedding. Oh, and marrying the guy I've loved since the fifth grade. That too.

All right. Enough of my nonsense. Let's get to the REAL reason you came to this page tonight:

* * *

Beast Boy blinked at the ocean in front of him, the haze of anger slowly fading out of his head. He sat on the edge of the Tower's roof, his feet dangling over the edge as the conversation he just had began to replay in his head.

_ "…and I've gotta move my things out of my room by Saturday so Cy can start with the plans for the expanded floor. I was thinking I could start moving some of my stuff over," he said, getting into bed next to Raven._

_ "What?" she suddenly said, her eyes snapping up to him._

_ "What what?" he said, grinning. "It's hardly different from what we've got going on now."_

_ "This is my room."_

_ "Funny, I thought it was _ours_, considering how I spend every night here." His smile was gone now._

_ "Well, it's not. This is my space and I'm allowing you to share it."_

_ "'Allowing'?!"_

_ Things degenerated from there…he could only remember bits and pieces._

_ "...thought we were in a relationship, not a temporary fling where you can just throw me back when you're done!" he had shouted at her._

_ She was up in arms, giving as good as she got, as always, "And you're so arrogant! Making assumptions without talking with me first! What if I wasn't ready for you to move in?"_

_ "So we can live in the same Tower and share the same bed, but having to admit to this room as 'ours' _THAT'S_ where you draw the line?!"_

_ "That isn't what we're talking about!"_

_ "Funny, that's what it seemed like!"_

_ "…you're possessive! I need my own space, away from you!"  
_

_ "And you're emotionally stunted! You want space, fine!"_

And then he left, escaping to the roof.

He put his head in his hands, oh god…had he really called her emotionally stunted? That was going to come back to bite him. If Raven didn't just rip his head off first. Or, the more likely scenario, just never speak to him ever again.

Shit. He couldn't have that. He couldn't just give up on her.

Beast Boy stood up and started towards the stairwell. He didn't care if he had to stand outside her door and shout, he'd make her hear him. The door opened before he got there and he stopped, face to face with the girl he'd been hell-bent on getting to.

Now that she was here, he couldn't think of a single word to say. He just stood there.

Raven glared at him, clearly not in the best mood, but still. She was here. Which was a good sign. Probably.

He swallowed when she stepped up to him. Raven was one of those rare girls that was most beautiful when she was angry. She was gorgeous all the time, but when her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were flashing, and she was so angry she actually said what was on her mind…

Right. Focus on the problem at hand.

Raven's eyes shot daggers at him, and he braced himself for whatever she was about to say. Whatever it was, he knew he wouldn't let her go without a fight. He'd worked too long and too hard for her to just-

"I'm sorry," she said, the words only a little too forced.

He was floored. "Umm…?"

She sighed, "I'm having a hard time learning not to be alone."

"Rae…"

"I'm working on it. But sometimes I fall a little short."

"I probably didn't help. Yelling back at you," he admitted.

The anger started to die to a smolder and her mouth quirked up. "Probably not." Then she sighed, "But maybe I need you to shout some sense into me."

He smiled and she amended it, "Sometimes."

"I'm not trying to be arrogant," he told her, taking her small hands in his, needing to be sure that everything was hashed out. "Or possessive."

"I know."

"I just…I don't want you to shut me out again. Not now. Not after everything." Beast Boy ran his thumb over her cheek and she leaned into it. Good sign. "And if you're not ready for me to move in, I can tell Cy to go and shove his plans. I can stay in my room, if I can just go on loving you."

Purple eyes danced, "That was cheesy."

"Doesn't make it any less true," he grinned. Letting his mirth fade a bit, he continued, "But seriously Rae. If you're not ready, I can wait. The decision is up to you."

"In that case…" she said, pausing. "I guess I decide that I want you to move in."

He felt a fist pump of triumph inside, but didn't let it show. Instead, he needled her as usual, "So we couldn't avoided this whole thing if I just told you it was your decision?"

Raven rolled her eyes and started back to the stairwell. Beast Boy went after her, smirking and unable to help himself. "So I can keep my comics in your – our – room?"

"Yes."

"My tv?"

"Yes."

"My stereo?"

"Yes," she said, exasperated.

"…my poster of the girls from Harry Potter?"

The door slammed shut in his face and he laughed. "Love you!"

* * *

I keep trying for angst. I keep failing. My inner Beast Boy is all, "Eff that noise." And Raven just judges me. So. Angst free. I'll try harder soon, promise. If just to make you appreciate the fluffy stuff.

As always, thanks for reading.

~EaD


	7. Silent

**_A little different. Still kind of short. Hope you don't mind._**

**_Thanks for reading._**

**_EaD_**

* * *

When Beast Boy opened his eyes, it was to a familiar sight. It was early, but it was the same time he woke up every day. Every day, he woke up at the same time. The sun was just starting to rise, lighting up the walls. The bathroom door was cracked open and he could hear Raven moving around in there. The walls and photos were the same ones he woke up to every day. The bed felt the same, the sheets tangled around his hips in the same annoying way. So why didn't he feel the same?

He rolled over onto his side to face the window, closing his eyes against the light. Burying his face into his pillow, he sighed.

Oh.

…right.

He didn't know how long it was before Raven came out of the bathroom and brushed her fingers over his shoulder. Her skin was cool.

"Gar?"

He didn't answer. He wouldn't. Not today.

Raven leaned over and kissed his check, leaving the room in silence. This was the first time since they'd been together, but she wasn't pushing him. Good.

Ignoring his routine, ignoring the tiny bit of him that was telling him to try and move on, Beast Boy closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

* * *

It was at least another two hours later before he managed to get out of bed and dressed. Despite himself, he couldn't lie around all day and do nothing. He got into the kitchen, which was nearly empty. Nearly.

"Hey there, B."

Beast Boy jerked his head at Cyborg, grabbing a glass of water. He felt his adoptive brother staring at him, but didn't make any move to say anything. Cyborg was only a few years older, but Beast Boy had always felt Cyborg had made it his mission to protect the rest of the team, even from themselves. He was the mediator when Raven and Robin got into fights. He kept Robin from being too serious, kept Starfire and himself from being too goofy. He made everyone feel needed and wanted. Even when they were at each other's throats, Cyborg never let them forget why they were together. Why they were a family.

Cyborg sighed, "I'm sorry, man."

He didn't really understand, but beast Boy knew his sympathy was honest and heartfelt. And it was never pity. Cyborg didn't do pity. And Beast Boy was grateful for that.

Downing the water, Beast Boy put the glass into the sink and went up to the roof. He rolled his shoulders and neck, trying to get rid of the tension. No good. He could already feel a headache building up.

He used to try to stay busy. Keep moving. Stop thinking. But it didn't help. It never did. So he gave up. He just let everything hit him and didn't try to fight it. Why bother?

Starting, he realized that Starfire was sitting next to him. She was staring up at the sky, surprisingly quiet for her. Beast Boy turned back to the ocean, blinking as the sun reflected off of the water. Starfire took his hand and remained silent.

He didn't know much about Star's life. Bits and pieces that she shared, that Raven had mentioned. Never willingly, but the empath sometimes shared nightmares. Some nights, he'd wake up and hear her mumbling things before he was about to get her to snap out of them. Other times, she'd already be aware and clutching at his chest, trying to cry without waking him up. A few times in the past couple years, since Phobia, Starfire had shown up at their bedroom door in the middle of the night, and without a word, Raven would go to her. The girls would go to the common room where Starfire would talk, and Raven would listen. They'd be there for hours. He'd found them asleep on the couch once, both of them with tear tracts on their faces and Starfire still grasping Raven's hand. And the next morning, Starfire would be smiling and bringing light to everything. Making everyone appreciate the day just by being alive.

He loved his sister. Truly.

She sat with him for another hour and a half, never saying a word, never trying to get him to speak. When she got up, she just squeezed his hand gently and then let go. Then she stepped off the edge of the Tower and glided down. Tomorrow, he'd thank her.

Tomorrow.

Beast Boy put his head in his hands, rubbing his temples. What time was it? Only two? God, this day took forever.

"Beast Boy?"

The changling glanced over, seeing his team leader standing in the door. He took Star's vacated seat next to Beast Boy.

"I wish I could say it gets better," Robin said suddenly.

Beast Boy stared ahead, feeling his chest constrict.

"But it doesn't."

Beast Boy glanced at his friend and teammate. He wasn't as close to Robin as he was to Cyborg. There was always a wall between the Boy Wonder and everyone else. A wall that only Star seemed able to break through. He knew Rob would lay down his life for anyone on the team, but fact was, he was the person Beast Boy knew the least about. He wondered if Robin had chosen that sort of life, or if it all just sort of happened. Would he become like that, eventually?

As much as he admired Robin, he prayed not.

Robin didn't look at him, but stared out over the Tower. "People always say it'll get better. And maybe they hope it's true. But it isn't. It will never get easier. It will never be any less painful. But…" here Robin glanced at him, meeting his eyes with an honestly and openness that Beast Boy never expected to see, "you and I both know that it can be survived. And tomorrow, we'll continue on. Like we always do."

Beast Boy nodded, not bothering to try and summon up a smile. Robin would understand about this. He did, nodding once and then leaving the roof, letting Beast Boy sit alone.

He didn't usually enjoy being alone. He actually hated the idea. He loved his family too much. They grated on his nerves, they annoyed him, and sometimes he couldn't stand to look at them. But he knew they would be there when he needed them. No matter what tomorrow brought, he could count on his family to be there for him.

But today was a day he had a hard time sharing with anyone. They all tried their best. At first, they had tried to get him to talk. Asked him questions, needled him until he'd escaped from the Tower for the entire day, not coming back until it was late and he had exhausted himself out from running or flying. They figured it out by the third year. They let him be. Offered him what little advice or help they had. Every year without fail. They sought him out and gave him what they could.

But he didn't know what he needed. He didn't know how to make this day hurt any less and he didn't necessarily want it to. If it hurt, it meant he remembered. And if he remembered, they'd still be a part of him.

It was dark now. When did that happen? Rubbing his eyes, Beast Boy tried to stand up, stretching out stiff limbs. The sun was gone now, the moon almost fully risen. Today was almost over and he didn't feel any better for it. He may have even felt worse. Shaking his head, he turned and drew up short.

Raven was sitting on the roof behind him, a blanket spread underneath her and a drained mug showed she had been there for some time. She hadn't bothered him, or spoken to him. Just let him sit there. He glanced at the book on her lap and felt his eyes start to burn.

He sat down next to her, taking the leather-bound book from her lap and dragging it onto his. Running his palm over the embossed cover, he stared at it.

"You never look at it," Raven said quietly. "Wouldn't it be the best way to remember?"

He looked up at his girlfriend, loving her more than he thought he could in that second. She ran her hand across his cheek and moved to get up, to leave him just as he thought he wanted.

But he didn't. Not now.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her back down to the roof, waiting until she settled close to him to open up the album. He did it with a hand he pretended didn't shake.

Page after page of smiling faces stared back at him. Some of them were posed, some so candid he couldn't see why they'd been included. Some were of lazy days, some of days so busy that even the photograph was blurry. He didn't know why he'd waited so long to look at them. Each one gave him a happier image than the one that'd been haunting his head all day. Each one brought back memories of the life he could barely remember.

He didn't know when he started actually crying. He just wasn't able to see the photos any longer. He rubbed his hand over his face, trying to regain control and found that he couldn't stop it. Years of pent up guilt and sorrow just flooded out of him and he couldn't stop.

Raven took his hand, not telling him "shush" or "it'll be okay" because they both knew it wasn't. She just let him hold onto her like the anchor she was. She let him weep for himself and the life he never got the chance to have. And when he finally calmed down, hours later, she gathered up the book and blanket and teleported them back to their room.

They got ready for bed silently, Raven placing the album back on their bookshelves where it belonged. He got under the covers and she turned off the lights, slipping in and curling up next to him. He felt exhausted, but wrapped his arms around her anyway. He'd never felt this drained before. Not on this day. He wondered if that was a good thing or not.

Still, despite the ache in his head and chest, despite the time, despite the way his eyes kept dragging closed, Beast Boy looked at the clock and waited until he was almost out of time.

At 11:59, just before the next day began and this one was behind him once more, he said the only words he ever said on this day. They were just above a whisper, but he knew that he was heard.

"Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad."


	8. Family

No excuses, only snippet.

* * *

"Hey, Mom?"

Raven put down her book, seeing Melvin standing by the end of the couch. "I thought you were out with Star?"

"We just got back." Only now did Raven notice the bags just behind the arm of the chair. She saw a definite plethora of bright colors, but those always suited Melvin better anyway with her blonde hair. Right now, that hair was being twisted around her fingers as Melvin refused to meet her eyes. "Is umm...is Dad home?"

This didn't bode well. "No. He's out with Robin and Cyborg."

"Then can I talk to you about...something?"

Nope. She wasn't doing this alone. "Maybe we should wait for your fath-"

"Please?"

Raven sighed and sat up straighter, taking an extra moment to use her powers. Okay, so Melvin wasn't pregnant, which was good. As a pretty, blonde, seventeen year old, Raven knew that it was a risk, but still. Melvin was smarter than that.

"All right. What would you like to talk about?"

"Boys."

Oh, Azar, no. "That's not exactly my area of expertise," Raven said slowly.

"I don't need advice," Melvin said, sitting on the other side of the couch. "I need your help."

Raven stared at her daughter, "In making him go away...?"

"No!" Melvin huffed, getting to her feet and pacing.

Raven waited. Sometimes, she thought defeating Trigon was easier than raising a teenage girl and two boys. The boys were a nightmare, but they were straightforward nightmare. When Timmy blew up the pool at his high school, it was because he felt like it, not because of boys or girl cliques or peer pressure. Melvin was an enigma wrapped in drama and Raven had a hard time figuring it all out.

"Brian asked me out," Melvin blurted.

"That's wonderful," Raven said.

"It's a disaster," she corrected.

"Why? I thought we liked Brian," Raven said. She definitely recalled a conversation listing the track team's captain's many talents and good qualities.

"I do like him. A lot."

"So why is it bad?"

"He wants to take me out on a date, Mom. Tomorrow night," Melvin said, enunciating the words as if she were an idiot.

Raven sat in silence for a moment. She was a brilliant woman. Without any arrogance or ego, it was a fact. She could figure out the cipher behind this seventeen year old's gossip.

...or not.

"Oh," Raven eventually settled for, hoping it would suffice. What in the name of Azar was this girl so worried about?

"You see my problem," Melvin said, sitting down again. "What am I going to do?"

Raven hesitated, "About which part, exactly?"

"_Mom!_" Melvin said, letting her head hit the couch. "He wants to pick me up!"

If she waited patiently, the rest of that sentence would turn up and make sense.

When she was quiet for too long, Melvin rolled her head towards Raven and added, "_Here!_"

Suddenly, it all made sense. Raven almost sighed from relief. "Sweetie, it's natural to be concerned about your friends discovering your powers. But as a Titan-"

"He already knows I'm a Teen Titan, Mom," Melvin said. "You think my little accident last year was forgotten by anyone? Ever? They all know. Which makes it that much more amazing that he asked me out at all, knowing who I was."

Damn. She was lost again.

Melvin sighed and sat up, facing Raven and speaking slowly. "Brian. A normal, adorable human teenager, wants to take me, Melvin Logan, on a date. He wants to pick me, Melvin, up at my - and when I say 'my' I mean our - house. In which the Titans live. The extra-famous ones. He wants to introduce himself to my family."

"None of this is sounding bad," Raven said. In fact, he sounded a sure sight better than some of the boys she'd heard about.

"He wants to introduce himself to my family," Melvin repeated. "To my father, the Changling who's saved the city a hundred times. To my uncle Nightwing, who is only one of the greatest non-super-superheroes in the world. To my Uncle Cyborg, who can turn his arm into a cannon and rewire a villain's brain without thinking!"

Raven hesitated.

"Mom, they're going to make him too scared to ever ask me out again!"

"They wouldn't do that, they-"

Melvin shot her a look and Raven rethought that. Melvin - the little girl in their family. The girl who Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy doted on. The girl who had them wrapped around her finger the first day she showed up, just because she was so sweet. The girl all three of them would die a hundred times for before they saw her got hurt.

The girl who was going on her first date.

"You're right," Raven relented. "That boy would never stop running. I'm not sure what you want me to do. I'm not going to lie to any of them."

"Just...don't tell them. Brian will show up, I'll introduce him to you and Star, tell him the rest of the family is out, and then we'll go," Melvin pleaded.

"That will only work the first time."

Melvin agreed, "I know. So I'll explain it all to him and he'll at least be prepared. You and Star are going to be more than enough. And then I can talk to Uncle Cy, Uncle Rob, and Dad about it and explain how much I like him and beg them not to make a scene."

"Why can't you tell them this now?"

"Please, Mom. This is my first date," Melvin pleaded. Then she shrugged, "Besides, if it goes badly, then I can introduce him to everyone on the second and he won't ask again. So you'll help me?"

The teenage logic was irrefutable. Raven sighed. "I'll see what Star and I can do."

* * *

The big day arrived. Starfire had been all too willing to send Robin out with Cy and Beast Boy, telling them the girls needed some time at home alone. Raven had arranged for Timmy to drive the boat out to the dock to pick up Brian around 5:45. That would give them just a few minutes to do the awkward meet and greet before they left for the dinner reservation she hoped Brian had made. Or pretended he'd made.

It was 5:30 now and Raven wished she was anywhere else. Teether and her sat off to the side of the console room as Melvin paced and Starfire followed her.

"Is my hair okay?" Melvin stopped and stared at Raven.

For the twenty-first time, Raven smiled, "Yes. You look beautiful."

She did, if a little more grown up than Raven chose to see her. Her hair was down and gently wavy and she was wearing makeup that Starfire had helped her apply. Despite Star's tendency to be a little over the top, she kept everything very basic and subtle with Melvin and Raven reminded herself to thank the alien. Melvin wore a skirt, not too short, thankfully and a flowing green tank top. There was a sweater next to her plain bag. She still chose to wear her sneakers, which made Raven feel a little more comfortable. At least she wasn't growing up too fast.

Melvin looked at the clock and groaned.

Teether smiled at his sister and patted the chair next to him. Melvin took it, but after a minute of silence, she was up and pacing again. Teether glanced at Raven, who shrugged.

"Pacing isn't going to make the world go any faster," Raven said.

"I imagine this is how Alan and Bart feel when they're waiting for someone," Starfire said, referring to the Flash family.

"This is awful," Melvin said, looking at the clock again. It was 5:40. Timmy had gotten fed up with pacing and had taken the boat over almost an hour ago, just to get out of the house.

"Everything will be fine," Starfire said.

"I hope so," Melvin said quietly, twisting the excess material of her top between her fingers. She glanced at Raven, "Were you this calm for your first date?"

She smiled, "Yes. But, we were also attacked ten minutes in, so we really didn't have time for the awkward small talk."

Melvin shook her head, "Is it bad that I kind of hope for a bank robbery on the way to dinner?"

Raven stood up and put both her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "You're going to click, or you won't. Either way, you're going to have a fun evening with a nice boy."

Melvin smiled and Raven felt her relax mentally and physically. She couldn't help but add,

"Besides, I'd be more concerned about explaining this all to Beast Boy when you get home."

Melvin giggled and the tension was broken. "True. The date's not going to be the hard part. It's going to be..."

She trailed off, her eyes locked on something out the window.

"Oh. My. God," Melvin whispered, stepping out of Raven's hold and walking over to the window.

Raven followed her gaze. "Oh, Azar."

Starfire gasped.

Teether giggled.

The boat was on its way back to the Tower, but it was carrying more than one passenger. Timmy was driving, the grin on his face obvious even from this distance. Raven assumed that was Brian in the back of the boat, sitting in the middle of the vinyl bench seat. On either side of him sat Robin and Cyborg, their arms casually resting behind the boy and boxing him in. Beast Boy stood in front of him, his natural balance making it simple for him to remain upright on the moving boat. He was clearly speaking to Brian, whose mouth was only slightly ajar.

"Mom," Melvin said, holding out her hand. Raven took it and teleported the two of them to just inside the front doors of the Tower. Melvin pushed it open just about the time Timmy was pulling the boat into the dock. Beast Boy hopped over the side, landing on the dock easily and walking over to where Melvin and Raven were. Raven stared at her husband, trying not to smile for Melvin's sake, but finding the look on his face impossible to resist.

"Hey, Mel," Beast Boy said. "How's it going?"

"Dad, what did you say to him?" Melvin asked quietly, her face pale as Cyborg helped Brian out of the boat.

"Oh, Brian?" Beast Boy said, looking over his shoulder at the teen. "Nice kid. Ran into him on our way back. Why didn't you tell me you had a date?"

Raven watched Melvin struggle. The girl was caught - she hadn't told Beast Boy and she knew she should have. "I don't know."

"Melvin!" Cyborg shouted, making Brian jump. Melvin glared as her uncles walked over and put an arm around either one of her shoulders.

"How was your day?" Robin asked her.

"Have a good time at home?" Cy said before she had a chance to answer.

"Met this guy on the way back."

"Nice guy-"

"Swell guy-"

"Says he's taking you out on a date?"

"How come you didn't tell us?"

She was pink by now, so Raven decided to end it all and walk up to Brian. Cyborg's and Robin's teasing went quiet.

"Hello, Brian. I've heard a lot about you," Raven said, smiling.

"H-...Hello, Mrs. Logan. Same here," he said, only shaking a little.

"It's nice to finally meet you."

"Yes, ma'am. You, too."

He was scared, but he had good manners. Starfire appeared with Teether and waved. Brian waved back, "Hello Mrs. …um. Fire?"

Robin chuckled and said, "It's Mrs. Wing, actually."

Melvin broke free of her uncles' grasps and walked over to her date. He recovered a bit. "Melvin, you look wonderful."

"Thanks," she said, smiling a little. "So do you."

Brian glanced over her shoulder at the others. "Um, I hate to rush through, but we do have a dinner reservation at six."

Raven smiled, smart boy. "Of course, we don't want to keep you." She turned them towards the boat, unable to stop the comments from starting up again.

"Have fun!"

"Not too much fun."

"We know every cop in the city."

"And every villain."

"I can hack into any camera. At any time. ANYWHERE."

"I'm the world's second greatest detective. And I have a direct line to the first."

"I've got your scent now. There's nowhere on Earth you can hide if I had to find you."

"And I can breathe in space! Though, I suppose you can't, so it's really not that relevant."

Raven shook her head at her family, even as Melvin's shoulders were so rigid they could break stone. She stopped at the boat and looked at Melvin, "Well. Have fun."

Melvin sighed, "Thanks, Mom." She managed a smile and climbed into the boat where Timmy was still waiting.

While she was climbing in, maneuvering quite well with a skirt, Raven took the opportunity to lean in to the boy. "Brian, you really don't need to worry about those three." She gestured back to the men in her life, lined up and watched him with smiles that looked too content to be sincere.

"Thanks, Mrs. Logan," he said, smiling a little.

"Not when you should be more concerned about me," Raven added.

Brian blanched. "Y-yes, ma'am."

"So, eleven o'clock sounds all right to you?" Raven spoke louder, catching Melvin's attention.

"Eleven is perfect," Brian said before Melvin had a chance to respond.

"Great," Raven said, stepping away from the boat. "Have fun."

She stood on the dock, watching the boat turn and head back to the mainland. She crossed her arms and felt a second pair wind around her waist.

"Were we too harsh?" Beast Boy muttered in her ear.

"If that was too harsh, he's not cut out to be a part of this life," Raven said quietly. "Better she learn that now than a few years down the line."

He nudged her neck with his nose, "It's a first date, love. I doubt they'll be making a blood pact about this tonight."

She hummed and turned in his arms, "How'd you know?"

"Timmy overheard you talking. Came straight to us the second we got back," he smirked.

"I should have known," she answered. She glanced back at the boat.

"She'll be okay," Beast Boy said. "She's a Titan."

Raven smiled. "Yeah, she is."

* * *

She and Beast Boy were curled up on the couch watching a movie when the door clicked open. Beast Boy immediately muted the television and turned to see Melvin.

She smiled at them, cocking her head, "What, you weren't standing at the windows as he dropped me off?"

"There're cameras," Beast Boy said.

"Ha. Ha," she said.

"Was he scared off?" her father asked her.

She grinned at him, "I think he's a little shaken. But, he's tougher than you think."

"Good." He turned back to the television, as if the rest of the evening didn't matter to him. Still, Raven saw him smile a bit to himself.

"Well, now that I'm been fully embarrassed and I'm sure to get the inquisition in the morning, I'm going to go to bed."

"Goodnight," Beast Boy called to her.

Raven leaned over the couch to see her down the hall, "Melvin?"

The blonde stopped and for a second Raven saw the six year old girl she'd first met when she was just a kid herself. She had to take a second breath before she found the air to ask, "Did you have fun?"

Melvin's smile spread to take up nearly her entire face.

Raven took that as a yes.

* * *

Hey guys.

Has anyone seen the picture of Chris Hemsworth (Thor) holding his baby daughter and the captions beneath it that wonder if he'll speak to her in his Thor-voice?

**WHAT IS WRONG DAUGHTER OF MINE? DO YOU REQUIRE NOURISHMENT? WHY DOTH YOU TORMENT ME SO?**

And when she gets a boyfriend, he'll be all, **TELL ME MIDGARDIAN, WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS TOWARDS MY DAUGHTER? WHOSOEVER DATETH MY DAUGHTER, IF HE BE WORTHY, SHALL POSSESS THE BLESSING OF THOR.**

I lol'ed. And then imagined what other superheroes would say about people and their daughters.

So I've been getting bored at work and wrote this up. Maybe I'll do it again tomorrow.

Thanks for reading, sorry for the delays. I love and miss you all.


	9. Hero

**I know. Whaaat? Another one? In a day? AMAZING.**

**It was a slow day at work and I have next to zero job satisfaction, so I wrote another one! Enjoy.**

* * *

Robin glanced at Beast Boy as they stopped outside the door. "You take high. I'll stay low."

Beast Boy shifted immediately, a swallow taking off the second Robin opened the door. The Boy Wonder, now more commonly known as Nightwing, rolled under the shurikan that were thrown his way, getting to his feet and behind one of the tossed tables before the assailant could reload.

Taking the advantage, Beast Boy dropped towards the ground behind the thief, landing silently. He shifted back and grinned as his foe turned to find him there.

"Hey, X," Beast Boy said. He got in two quick punches to the gut before Red X recovered enough to block the next one and break out of Beast Boy's range.

The bag on the floor was already bulging with the contents of the safety deposit boxes that lay scattered around them. X glanced at it, and the door, but Robin was up and closing it, cutting off his escape.

"Hey, guys," X said. "Long time no see."

"Heard you were in Indonesia for a while," Robin said, unfolding his bo staff.

"Yeah, soaking up the sun, the local life. It was a nice break. Been what? Three years? Four?" X threw another set of shurikan at Robin, who dodged them as if they were paper. Flipping up and over them, he landed on the edge of an overturned table and threw a set of his own.

X was already dodging, so Beast Boy swept his leg out, knocking the villain to the ground. "Five years, actually."

"Time flies, huh?" X rolled away as Beast Boy stomped down. "Heard you got married, kid."

Robin grabbed the bag from the ground and kicked it behind the table, "Last year, yeah."

"Congrats. Alien girl's officially off the market now." X slammed a sizzling x onto the ground and Beast Boy had to jump back before it exploded. As the smoke cleared, Beast Boy was forced to block the quick strikes and kicks of the thief. He held his own, trained for years under Robin's martial arts tutelage.

"You and the demon still together?" X asked, landing a glancing blow off of Beast Boy's shoulder.

"Married. With three kids," Beast Boy said, wincing a little.

X laughed, "Fast work."

"They're adopted," Beast Boy added. He pulled his fist back and in the split second it took X to to try and block it, Beast Boy shifted and it was a gorilla's arm that hit him. X stumbled backwards, shaking out his arm. He eyed the table that Robin stood in front of.

"Gotta say, kid. The black and blue suits you a lot better than the traffic light."

"Thanks. You could do with a revamped costume, don't you think?" Robin said, shifting to make sure he stayed between the table and X.

X chuckled, "Stalling before the ladies show up?"

"Nah," Beast Boy said, advancing on X from behind. "It's their day off. How have you been?"

X looked behind him and jumped the same second Beast Boy did. He grabbed one of the holes in the wall from the missing safety deposit boxes and flipped off, landing on top of the table behind Robin. "Would you believe I've got a kid of my own?"

"Really?" Robin said, sweeping his staff towards his legs.

"Really! A little girl." He jumped backwards off the table and grabbed the bag Robin had stuffed there. He slapped an exploding x on the table and flipped backwards. Robin had enough time to cover his head before it exploded and tossed him backwards. X ran through the smoke, but Beast Boy had been prepared for something like this. A bat flew through it, catching sight of Robin, the table, and then -

He landed in his true form right in front of X, taking the bag and slamming him into the wall. He took an elbow to the stomach, winding him and making him fall back. X pulled on the bag, but Beast Boy swung at him and he backed off. Hearing the door open, Beast Boy blinked as the smoke cleared.

X stood in the doorway, "Guess I better find another way to pay for her college if you guys are constantly going to be cramping my style."

"Get a real job," Beast Boy shouted.

He heard a chuckle and then X was gone. He was going to take that as a no.

Beast Boy stood up, the jewels in the bag having fallen to the bottom and clinking against one other. Walking over to the vault door, he glanced up and down, making sure that X was really gone before helping Robin out of the clutter of the table. "You okay?"

"Yeah, he wasn't trying to kill us."

"Never does," Beast Boy said, dropping the bag.

Robin got to his feet, rubbing his head, "Still hurts, though."

Beast Boy chuckled, "Come on, let's go get security and the manager. Leave them to sort out all this stuff. I'm not touching any of it."

"Sounds good."

* * *

Later that evening, after the kids had gone to bed, Starfire, Robin, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Raven, and Bee were up in the console room, finishing up a movie. Beast Boy was dozing on Raven's shoulder when Starfire spoke up.

"I heard today you ran into Red X."

Robin yawned as Cyborg ejected the movie and turned down the volume as the television clicked back on. "Yeah. The bank robbery."

"You are unharmed?"

"Of course. I don't think he'd try to kill us. Not really."

Raven glanced at the goose egg that was forming on Robin's head, "You think?"

"Mostly. He's not so bad."

Cyborg grinned and flipped through the channels, "That's one heck of a difference from when you first met him."

Robin shrugged, "X is just...I don't know. I wouldn't mind if we never had to arrest him. I wouldn't mind if he would stop stealing, either, but whatever."

"Maybe he will," Beast Boy yawned. "For his kid."

"His kid?" Cy asked.

"Yeah, he said he has a little girl now," Robin told them.

"Weird," Cyborg muttered.

Bee laughed, "Why is that weird?"

"He's a criminal. A villain. And we met him when we were just kids and now he's got a kid of his own? I don't know. Villains can't have lives," Cyborg said.

"We have kids," Raven told him.

"And that's weird to me too. We're old enough to be having kids. Our enemies are out there, having kids and getting married. Isn't that just..."

"Weird?" Beast Boy laughed.

"Just think, someday, your kids might be fighting against X's kids," he said. "She could be the next super-villain-ess."

Raven was quiet for a moment. "Or maybe she'll be fighting alongside our kids."

Starfire gasped, "Maybe X's daughter will marry Timmy or Teether!"

"And then we'd be related to X," Beast Boy added. "Nope. Too weird. I agree with Cy. It's all weird and we should stop talking about it."

They watched the news for a minute before Robin added, "Wouldn't be so bad. He could teach us a lot."

"How to rob a bank?" Raven asked him, smiling.

"How to fail at robbing a bank," Beast Boy corrected.

"...and in other news today, Jump City National Bank was robbed in the most uncommon way."

Beast Boy straightened up as Robin and he immediately focused on the television. The brunette news anchor staring into the camera with a permanent smile on her face. Pictures of Beast Boy and Robin flashed on screen.

"The Titans, Changling and Nightwing, managed to foil the more obvious plot of the robbery, driving off the criminal known only as Red X from the premise. However, when the heroes left after entrusting the contents of the safety deposit boxes in the care of the bank's employees, little did they know that the heist wasn't over."

"What the hell?" Robin said, leaning forward.

"From what the authorities have revealed, Red X impersonated a bank employee, allowing him access to the clean-up in the vault. He was left alone for no more than two minutes. When security returned, the contents of over thirty deposit boxes were gone."

"Son of a bitch," Beast Boy muttered, falling back into his seat.

"Authorities will never know how much Red X got away with, as most of the contents of safety deposit boxes are kept secret from everyone but their owners. And most of them are refusing to list what has gone missing. Who knows what Red X will do with his ill-gotten gains, or where he will strike next. This is Tracy Tanaka, reporting from Jump City National."

* * *

A man walked down the street, not earning a single glance in his suit and tie. He loosened the knot, too tight around his throat. A messenger bag was slung over his shoulder, tinkling gently in the dark. He walked up to a nondescript building on what could have been any street in the city, unlocking the door and stepping in. It was a four apartment house, two on top, two on bottom. Jogging up the steps, he chose the left door.

"Daddy!"

He was caught around the knees by a mop-headed child, all dark red curls and blue eyes. Thankfully, she'd retained none of her mother's looks. "What are you still doing up?"

The nanny on the couch stood up, "I'm sorry. But the news came on and you know how she gets."

He glanced at the television; they were replaying the story at Jump City National.

"You're okay, Daddy?"

"Of course I am."

"'Cause of the Titans?"

"Yup." He reached into his pocket and handed some bills to the nanny, "Thanks, Laurie."

"It's not a problem. We were worried about you, working at the bank when that criminal showed up."

"I got lucky."

"And the Titans!" the little girl added.

He scooped up his daughter, putting the bag in the hall and walking Laurie to the door. "Goodnight, Laurie."

"Goodnight, Peter."

He locked the door behind his neighbor, after listening to make sure she got down the stairs and into her own apartment safely. Then he turned and lounged on the couch, the little girl curling into him.

"Were you scared?" she asked him.

"Nope. Dads don't get scared."

"I was scared."

"Don't be, Little Red."

She giggled. "My name is not Little Red!"

"No?"

"No! My name is Sasha!" she shouted, knowing it was a game.

He tugged on her hair, darker than his own. "You sure? You look a Little Red to me."

"I'm sure!" she laughed and lapsed into giggles as he started tickling her. Still, the girl was smarter than she should be for her age. "I'm glad the Titans were there."

"Yup."

"They're heroes."

"Yes, they are."

She stared at him for a minute. "But you're my favorite hero, Daddy."

Kids. He sat up and caught her as she slid down his chest. "Time for bed, kid."

She grumbled and grumped but did as she was told all the same. He walked behind her, making sure she brushed her teeth, combed her hair and then helped her change into pajamas when the sleeves started to give her a hard time. He tucked the tiny thing into bed, trying to remember a day where she wasn't the most important thing in his life. He hadn't loved her mother. That'd been more out of pity than anything else. But he loved this little kid. This smart, pretty, sweet little kid that he couldn't believe he had anything to do with the creation of. Certainly not the morals. He didn't know where the hell she had gotten those.

"All right. Goodnight, kid."

"Daddy?"

He'd been with a lot of women. Not a _lot_. But a fair amount. And not one of them had been able to have him so wrapped around their finger like this little girl. None of them could make him drop whatever he was doing just by saying one word. Except her. "What?"

"Can I be a Titan when I grow up?" she asked him.

He leaned against the door of her tiny bedroom, scattered with the toys he'd managed to get together for her. They had money, but he was saving most of it. In case something happened to him, in case he got killed, or caught. He didn't want her to ever have to rely on anyone else. Not like her mother. Not like him.

"Do you want to be a Titan?" he asked.

The big eyes stared at him from just above her covers and she nodded like it was a secret. "But I don't have any magic."

"Neither does Rob-Nightwing," he told her. He walked over and sat on the side of her bed, pushing the curls out of her face, "Look, Red. You want to be a Titan? I'll make you the best Titan there ever was. You'll wipe the floor with the other Titans. If that's what you want."

She smiled, "I love you, Daddy."

"Love you, too, Little Red. Now shut up and go to sleep."

She giggled, because only for her were those words true.

He left the door cracked open as he grabbed his bag from the hall and took it into his bedroom. He pried up a floorboard and dragged out the box labeled, "Little Red".

He unlocked it with a code and opened up the lid. Inside were stacks of bills, jewels, deeds, bonds, and patents. Everything that would make sure she was set for life. The contents of his bag went into that box, with only a small stack of bills left out for rent and groceries. He hesitated and pulled out a little more. Her birthday was coming up. She needed something special.

He returned the box to the floor and replaced the board. heading back out into the living room, he checked on her, like he did a few dozen times every night. It was habit.

Plopping down in front of the television, he caught the end of the story about the bank again. He saw the pictures of the Titans flash past and then he found himself staring into the mask of Red X. He sighed; his daughter, a Titan. Well, if that's what Red wanted, that's what she would have. And there'd be hell to pay for anyone who stood in her way. After all, he was her favorite hero.

He couldn't help but smile to himself a little at the irony of it all. A full screen image of the Titans appeared and he tried to imagine himself in their ranks. Standing shoulder to shoulder with them.

Red X chuckled, "That's me. A big, damn hero."

* * *

**Soooo…there's like no BB and Rae in this. I hope you can forgive me. It was going to be more about them, but then I though t- Hey. This is their lives after they've gotten together. They're starting families and everything is changing. Isn't it only fair to look at how other people are changing around them, too?**

**Also, I love Red X. If you look, closely for non-comic readers, you'll see my theories on who Red X is and who he was involved with to wind up with his Little Red. :) Who is absolutely adorable in my head. Seriously. Cutest effing kid ever.**

**I hope you guys like this one. I promise to do a more BB/Raven-centric one soon. While I'm on the topic, what are your opinions on lemons? ~I'M NOT PROMISING ANYTHING~. I'm curious and wondering if I can be brave enough to write one. But if no one's buying, I'm not selling. Just drop me a note or whatever if you think I should steer clear or give it a go. And suggestions? I don't know if that's too weird. I don't know. It's a new area for me. But, this is all about you. And me, a little. But mostly, the Titans.**

**As always, thanks for reading.**

**~EaD**


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